Iowa Lawmakers Disagree on Flexible Funding for Education

The state cost per student in Iowa’s K-12 public schools is over six thousand dollars per year - increasing steadily over the past couple decades.

The Iowa legislature is supposed to set the amount of state aid for K-12 school budgets more than a year in advance. Schools say they need the budget in advance so they can plan teacher salaries, but republican law makers are hesitant to plan the budget too far ahead.

Representative Matt Windschitl (R-Missouri Valley)

Credit John Pemble / IPR

Today, host Clay Masters talks with Iowa City’s superintendent to find out how they estimate their budget for the coming year. He also sits down with lawmakers who disagree over how much growth should be allowed for the education budget. In the second half of the show, Clay learns about Governor Branstad’s plan (Home Base Iowa Act) to attract veterans to the state, through tax-exempt pension legislation and increased educational opportunities for service members recently home from deployment.